SERMON IV. 1 PETE R, ii. 24. Who his own felf bare our Sins, in his own Body on the Tree. W1 HO can reflect on that most aftonishing act of divine philanthropy as it is made manifeft in the incarnation, life, death, refurrection and interceffion of the fon of God, and not be ravished with wonder, and lost in furprize and admiration! Seeing that in every one of thefe, a fubject for our contemplation is opened, not unworthy of the most exalted seraph to attend; and in each a fountain overflowing with mercy, grace, and heavenly benedictions; whofe confolating streams fhall fatiate the just, through the vaft and tracklefs depths of eternity. That the co-equal Son of the everlasting Father fhould cloath himself with clay, and wrapped in the vile rags of mortality fhould fojourn on earth! It is well my foul, it is well my friends and brethren, the God of truth has declared it, or no flesh living could have believed it. That he fhould fubject himself to the injunctions of his own moft righteous law, fulfill it's precepts, and amply of obtaining that falvation intended to be purchafed, and procured by his death. But what may be faid relative to this, fhall be the subject of another discourse; and may what has now been faid of the fufficiency of our Saviour's atonement fink deep into all our hearts, and may we feel the falutary effects thereof in our lives; may we be made abundant partakers of that grace in this world, which fhall fo reign in our hearts thro' righteousness, that it may termi nate in glory in the world to come. Amen an Amen. amply fatisfy the largest demands of injured juftice; is an instance of fuch love, as angels themfelves having never known before, are moved with pious curiofity to look into. The cause or the effect, who can admire most, The former being refolvable only into the love, the everlasting love of God, the latter terminating in the blifs, the inconceivable everlasting blifs of finful man. When death itself ftoops down to the loweft depths of ignominy and difgrace; when the incarnate Jefus fuffers, bleeds, and dies; what heart but feels the piercing arrows of almighty vengeance, barbed with fin, and threatening death, ftrike through his very foul! And afterwards to fee him rife, rife as a conquerer leading death and hell in captive chains, bearing an indubitable teftimony that God was reconciled in him to all that fhould believe! What bofom doth not bound with bursting joy, to fee the fuffering Saviour rife, breaking the bonds of death, and fanctifying for his people a pleafing paffage thro' the gloomy grave! How ineftimable are the bleffings his kind hands bestow, now that he is entered into the holy of holies, and pleads our cause in heaven; be lives, he greatly lives, be lives for evermore and bas the keys of death and bell; be fouts and no man opens, and when opening none can shut against him. Power is all to Jefus giv'n, Power o'er hell, o'er earth, and heav'n. Having proved that our bleffed Saviour by the one offering made of his own body on the tree hath expiated fin, and brought in an everlasting righteoufnefs, feeing that the facrifice made of himfelf was perfect, propitiatory, vicarious, and plenary; I now proceed to enquire for our special con confolation, wherein that falvation procured for his people by the fhedding of his blood, authen ticated to them by the fufficiency of his merits, doth confift. Ift, Our bleffed Lord in dying for his people, did not intend fo immediately to deftroy death as that it fhould exercise no more power in the world, or that the purchase of his blood should never die; this truth is felf-evident, yet did he fulfill all that the prophet had foretold in this respect concerning him: "I will ranfom "thee from the power of the grave; I will re"deem thee from death: O death I will be thy "plagues, Ograve I will be thy deftruction." Hof. xill. 14. Which prophecy compared with the fulfillment of it in his refurrection, prefents to us a proof that death and the grave could not detain him. It is faid, Heb. ii. 14, "That because the children were partakers of flesh and blood, she likewife also himself took part of the fame'; that through death, i. e. his own dying on the cross, he might destroy him that had the po"wer of death, that is the devil;" which deftruction is to be understood, firft, Of his having fubdued him, bruifed his head and made him captive. Second, Of the death's wound he then gave him in delivering his people from under his power; and a dreadful earneft of the almighty's displeasure against fin, which fhould terminate in the everlasting deftruction of him and his fallen legions. In like manner, Jefus by his dying hath difarmed death, The fting of death is fin, but thanks be to God, a victory is given to the believer, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. 1 Cor. xv. 56. And hence death is to these not the dread king of terror; but a messenger of peace; he comes commiflioned by Our |